The Titanic letter shows how the ship was nearly involved in a collision at Southampton docks. Photograph: AP

A rare letter that gives an insight into the cosseted life first class passengers enjoyed on board the Titanic is expected to fetch up to £25,000 at auction.

The letter, from perfumer Adolphe Saafeld to his "wifey", as he calls her, describes fine lunches, long dinners, satisfying cigars and strolls around the ill-fated liner.

The letter, dated 10 April 1912, the first day of the voyage, reads: "Dear Wifey, Thanks for your wire ... The weather is calm and fine, the sky overcast.

"So far the boat does not move and goes very steadily. It is not nice to travel alone and leave you behind. I think you will have to come next time.

"I have quite an appetite for luncheon. Soup, fillet of plaice, a loin chop with cauliflower and fried potatoes, Apple Manhattan and Roquefort cheese, washed down with a large Spaten beer iced, so you can see I am not faring badly.

"I had a long promenade and a doze for an hour up to 5 o'clock. The band played in the afternoon for tea ... anything and everything in the eating line is gratis."

Saafeld also wrote of how the Titanic was nearly involved in a collision with another liner while at Southampton docks – but seemed more worried that this delayed his dinner.

"Owing to our little mishap at Southampton we were all one hour late and had dinner only at 7.30 instead of 7 o'clock as usual ... I have a small table for two to myself.

"I made a very good dinner and had two cigars in the smoke room and shall now go to bed as I am tired. But for a slight vibration, you would not know that you are at sea.

"A kiss for you and love to all from your loving husband, Adolphe."

The three-sided letter is on Titanic headed notepaper and was posted from Ireland to his wife, Gertrude, in Manchester.

It is coming up for auction on 17 April at Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes, Wiltshire.

Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said: "We have come across other letters and postcards that were sent from the Titanic but this is easily the best due to its content.

"The vast majority of letters just give a few lines like how fine and big the boat was and 'wish you were here' and things like that.

"But the Saafeld letter goes into fine detail about the life of a first class passenger on board.

"The letter is straight from the horse's mouth and is giving the reader his own impressions of the ship. It is a primary historical source."

Saafeld was travelling to America from Manchester to market his scented oils.

When the Titanic struck an iceberg in the north Atlantic on the night of 14 April 1912, Saafeld, who was 47 at the time, was in the smoking room. He was able to scramble into lifeboat number three.

His little bottles of perfume oils went down with the ship but remarkably some were salvaged 10 years ago. He returned to England and died in 1926.